It’s no secret that we’re animal lovers here at EarthCruiser. Bend, Oregon, has the reputation as one of the most dog-friendly towns in the U.S.A., and we fit right in at our chosen home. From founders Lance and Michelle’s trusty German shepherd, Strewth, to employee and owner pets ranging from chihuahuas, labradoodles, huskies to rescues (and even the occasional cat), it’s a rare day at headquarters that doesn’t involve an animal or two. Pets and overlanding seem a match made in heaven. Who doesn’t love bringing their furry companions with them to enjoy and explore the outdoors? Here we offer

It sounds simple enough. You have narrowed down the seemingly endless list of places you’d like to go overlanding and have even figured out when you’d like to go. Now you just need to plan your route. Where do you begin? What resources are available to help with your research? What does an ideal route even look like? Designing a good trip is more than just connecting the dots between the start and finish. If you get it right, you’re hitting the area’s highlights and some off-the-beaten-path experiences. You’re spending just enough time behind the wheel every day to arrive

“Give him whatever he wants!” my husband shouted as I scrambled out of the path of the angry honey badger. Dust flying, it barreled into the dinner table of our camp in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. Later, I’d find out my husband had actually said, “let him go wherever he wants,” but at the time, complying with the demands of the furry terrorist seemed like a perfectly reasonable directive. As much as we often overland with the hopes of incredible wildlife sightings, encounters of the uninvited kind can be stressful situations. Think unruly marmots chewing through electrical wires, skunks